One of the red vines whipped past his face and wrapped around a tree instead of snapping back right away. Bark cracked under the pressure, and even while he kept moving, Shu's eyes stayed on it for that extra beat.
'Wait,' he thought, ducking under another lash. 'That one stayed on.'
The next one hit a trunk too, and this time he saw it clearly. Once the vine found wood, it clung to it for a moment before it tore loose again, and that was all he needed.
He changed direction at once and ran toward the thickest part of the roots instead of away from it. The tyrant roared behind him, dragged its twisted body forward, and sent three more lashes after his back.
He cut between two trees so close together that one vine slammed into the trunk on his left while another wrapped around the one on his right. He did not stop there, just kept running and counted in his head.
'One.'
